"Nowadays, the only French quartets one hears in
concert are the Debussy and the Ravel. In my opinion, Magnard's is every bit as
good."---Editor-The Chamber Music Journal.

Albéric Magnard (1865-1914) was born in Paris to
wealthy parents. His father François Magnard was a bestselling author and editor
of the Paris newspaper Le Figaro. After military service and graduating from law
school, he entered the Paris Conservatoire, where he studied counterpoint with
Théodore Dubois, Jules Massenet and Vincent d'Indy. Magnard's musical output
numbered only 22 works with opus numbers. Larger compositions such as symphonies
were his main area of interest, however, he did write a piano trio, this string
quartet and some instrumental sonatas. Magnard's musical style is typical of
French composers contemporaneous to him, but occasionally, there are passages
that foreshadow the music of Gustav Mahler. Magnard's use of cyclical form is
more was influenced by Cesar Franck

His String Quartet in e minor, Op.16 dates from
1903. The massive, but captivating opening movement, Sonate, begins with
a powerful and impassioned theme which gives way suddenly to a languid
melancholy second theme. The second movement, Serenade, is quite
extraordinary, nervous and ethereal—really more scherzo than serenade. The
leisurely slow movement, Chant funèbre, has a Brucknerian breadth and
tonality as heard through a French filter. A bright and ebullient finale,
entitled Danses, presents a series of folk dances, waltzes and fugues
very idiosyncratically.

Virtually impossible to obtain since before the
Second World War, we are pleased to make this first class quartet available once
more.